Its shocking findings included one in 20 parents who said they never use a child or booster seat, and 26 per cent who have used one which did not fit properly.

They also found that just 26) saying they would use a child seat in cars until their child was 150 centimetres tall, the height recommended by safety experts.

Julie Townsend, Brake's deputy chief executive told the Scotsman: "Every year, more than 700 young children are killed or seriously injured on our roads.

"These sudden and violent events end lives that have barely begun, and devastate whole families and communities who struggle to come to terms with such senseless harm being inflicted on a young child. They are not accidents we must learn to live with – every child death and serious injury on roads is preventable."

UK law states that parents must use a child or booster seat until their child is either 12 years old or 135cm tall, but Brake urges parents to continue to use a seat until their child reaches 150cm.